How can I get a UAE residency or 5-year visa through real estate?

Expatriate employees or employers can obtain a residency visa There are three ways they can change their status from an entry permit holder to a resident visa holder: official employment, company registration, and real estate acquisition.

Once they have a valid residency permit, male residents can sponsor his spouse and children (under 18 years of age) and any unmarried daughters above the age of 18 years. 

Expatriate employers are issued residency visa for three years, while expatriate employees are issued residency visa for 1 to 2 years, depending on their labor contract. 

The UAE cabinet granted long-term visas to certain expatriates such as entrepreneurs, specialized talents and researchers in the knowledge and science field, and outstanding students, with some conditions. 

Find out more here.

The Government of Dubai issues it and it is guaranteed as long as the property purchaser owns the property, clears all security and medical tests, and is not rejected by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

The type of residency visa you're entitled to depends on the value of the purchased property. Once the property purchaser buys a property, he/she is automatically entitled to obtain a residence visa.

Applying for residency visa can be done either on the website of Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA), which is the eChannel for citizenship and residency, or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), which works under the UAE ministry.

Only the principal property purchaser gets a residence visa but may sponsor his/her dependents.

You can apply for a 5-year residency visa in the UAE by investing in real estate that meets the following criteria:

Eligibility:

• Own property in the UAE valued at a minimum of AED 5 million. The property must be fully paid (not mortgaged).

• Multiple properties can be combined to meet the required value.

• The applicant must be physically present in the UAE at the time of application.

Required Documents:

• Title deed(s)

• Valid passport

• Previous Emirates ID

• Passport-sized photograph

• Health insurance

Application Process:

1. Complete a medical fitness test.

2. Hold or cancel any existing family visa.

3. Cancel the applicant’s current visa.

4. Complete visa stamping (valid for 5 years).

5. Obtain a new Emirates ID (valid for 5 years).

6. Re-activate or apply for the family visa, if applicable.

Fees (approximate):

• Medical test (VIP): AED 753

• Emirates ID (5 years): AED 572.50

• 5-year residency visa: AED 888.75

• Management fee: AED 100

• Total: AED 2,314.25

• File opening for dependent visa: AED 318.75
  Note: Health insurance is not included in the above fees.